Starter guitar and amp recommendations (new only)

Voxman

A friend of mine is looking to buy a guitar and light portable amp (That he can carry to school) for her 12 yr old son. He's having lessons but she doesn't yet know if it's a serious bug or just a kids latest fad. 

So guys, your recommendations please for buying a reasonable new starter guitar and light compact amp that will be enjoyable to learn with, fun and decent to play, but won't cost a fortune. 

Probably something versatile to cover hb and sc tones, and a simple to use modelling amp.

I don't really have a feel for her budget but I'd guess circa £300 or so. 

thumpingrug

Here you go.  Yamaha Pacifica and a little line 6 amp

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Yamaha-Pacifica-012-Spider-Electric-Guitar-Pack/27PM

Voxman

thumpingrug said:

Here you go.  Yamaha Pacifica and a little line 6 amp

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Yamaha-Pacifica-012-Spider-Electric-Guitar-Pack/27PM

That's a definite possibility, thanks!   if it came with a steap, lead and picks it would be perfect. Ive seen starter kits that do but only with 2 channel non modelling amps and he'll have more fun with the line 6 spider. 

Are there any strap, lead and pick bundles that could go with it? 

skunkwerx

Andertons have some similar. 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/epiphone-les-paul-sl-in-turquoise-bundle-w-marshall-mg10cf-accessories

Though its with a blackstar lt echo amp, gig bag, tuner, cable, £197

HAL9000

+1 for a Pacifica, but not the 012 which is bottom of the range and has an agathis rather than an alder body. Def go for a 112 or even a 212 if possible.

Yamaha model numbers work like this...

First digit      - Quality (0 being the lowest. 6 is currently the highest)
Second digit - Number of humbuckers
Third digit     - Number of single coils

dazzajl

I went along with a friends daughter to choose her first guitar last week. She’s been playing about 8 weeks, so very much not particularly aware of what she likes or what the options are. 

As it turned out, I really wasn’t needed. The guy in PMT took fabulous care of her. He had her hold and play just about everything in her price range and from the ones she liked, made it very clear she also had to love it and be drawn to oick
it up. 

He was absolutley spot on. Loving the look, wanting to pick up and it being comfortable are far more important than pickups, configuration or relative value. 

Voxman

This looks like a decent bundle? Amp has distortion and reverb, guitar appears decent, comes with gig bag, tuner, lead, picks..but no guitar strap.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars/modern-body-guitars/eastcoast-gl120-red-burst-electric-guitar-bundle-w-amp-and-accessories

Funkfingers

From the Anderton's starter pack list, I would be more inclined to go for an Epiphone Les Paul - either the AFD or the SL.

The latter, in particular, will always have a certain pawnshop cool about it. In the longer term future, it would be easy to upgrade the pickups. There might even be room under the pickguard to convert to a 2 Vol, 2 Tone control array.

HAL9000 said:

+1 for a Pacifica, but not the 012 which is bottom of the range and has an agathis rather than an alder body. Def go for a 112 or even a 212 if possible.

Have a wiz.

The standard of woodwork on the Pacifica range is consistently good across all price points. The corner cutting tends to be in the hardware and electronics. This means that a guitar can be kept for life and upgraded when funds allow. A 112 in Natural finish hides nothing and, equally, has nothing to hide.

Voxman

It all depends on the budget...the Andertons deal looks pretty good, everything the kid needs except a strap. The amp has reverb which he needs, and the guitar offers hss versatile flexibility and a whammy. Tuner, lead, gig bag, picks, amp all included. If this is a Xmas present you want everything there to get the kid started. Andertons are a good name to deal with, and I've recommended they call them first to get the guitar set up properly, intonated, neck checked, action and bridge adjusted etc with decent strings before being sent out.